Sustainability Specialist

Location: Northfield

Job Summary

As part of Medline’s global Sustainability Program, the Sustainability Specialist will play a key role in strengthening the company’s data infrastructure to support environmental and social impact reporting. This role will focus on collecting, organizing, and analyzing sustainability-related data, configuring datasets for reporting, and managing workflows within platforms such as Workiva.
Key responsibilities include supporting the development and maintenance of sustainability metrics, ensuring data accuracy and consistency across reporting cycles, and contributing to special projects that require cross-functional collaboration and analytical insight. The Specialist will also assist in preparing internal and external disclosures, working closely with stakeholders across divisions and regions.
Success in this role requires strong data management and analytical skills, attention to detail, familiarity with sustainability reporting frameworks, and experience using reporting platforms like Workiva. A collaborative mindset and ability to support multiple projects simultaneously are essential.

Job Description

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Governance (35%)

• Serving as project lead for assignments and communicating status updates on active projects, trending issues and response efforts to Sustainability Leadership
• Supporting Sustainability’s software suite, including business liaison, workspace hygiene, sophistication, backlog and configuration
• Quarterbacking the growth of Sustainability’s data inventory, including the enablement of system data collection and onboarding new data owners on technology and process
• Maturing and delivering Sustainability’s data governance education, including software training and best practices for data generation and control
• Leading and driving effective requirements gathering sessions with multiple stakeholders or business partners to facilitate discussions or conduct analysis
• Support the Sustainability Program Manager, Climate to maintain and update the company’s greenhouse gas inventory, ensuring auditable, accurate tracking and reporting of emissions.
• Support the development and documentation of consistent governance procedures, roles and responsibilities for preparing, controlling and retaining carbon accounting data, working closely with the Controller, Sustainability.
• Acting as a thought partner to continue developing data infrastructure to support Medline’s Sustainability program

Due diligence reviews (35%)

• Conduct comprehensive due diligence reviews of sustainability-related materials, including marketing materials, customer presentations, public reports and disclosures.
• Verify accuracy and completeness of data provided by internal teams and external partners to ensure alignment with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and update due diligence checklists and protocols to reflect evolving standards, regulations, and best practices.
• Support the Program Manager, Sustainability and Sustainability Controller to prepare for audit readiness by ensuring documentation is properly organized and accessible for internal and external reviews.

General Program Support (30%)

• Provide general project and program management support, as required
• Liaise with cross-functional teams (e.g., legal, compliance, operations) to obtain timely input for sustainability inquiries
• Provide reporting support, as required
• Support team activities, coordination, and events, as required
• Provide and present data and information for external communication, as required

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in sustainability, business, marketing, communications, non-profit organization management or related field.

Work Experience

• +2 years of work experience

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Experience in analyzing and reporting data to identify issues, trends or exceptions to drive improvement and find solutions
• Experience developing ways of accomplishing goals with little or no supervision, depending on oneself to complete objectives and determining when escalation of issues is necessary
• Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Excel (for example: using SUM function, setting borders,…